SUMMER JOBS: Dockhand Zoe Stedman of Marble Falls
One of the many responsibilities Zoe Stedman has as a dockhand at the Horseshoe Bay Resort Marina is pumping gas into watercraft. Staff photo by Brigid Cooley
Sixteen-year-old Zoe Stedman found her job as a dockhand for the Horseshoe Bay Resort Marina when she attended a Marble Falls High School job fair this spring. At two weeks into the full-time position, she declared it one of the best decisions she could have made for her Highland Lakes summer.
“I thought it would be fun because I get to be outside all summer,” Stedman said.
To give her an edge when compared to other job applicants, Stedman obtained her boating license before she was hired. Although new to the boating world, she fell in love with it and hopes to soon guide the Sunset Tours offered at the resort.
Once hired, the first thing Stedman learned were the ins and outs of the marina store, where she stocks shelves with swimwear, sunblock, and trinkets and interacts with resort guests as she rings up their purchases.
Dockhands also manage the resort’s rentals, overseeing paperwork, cleaning watercraft, and filling up gas tanks at the on-site pump.
On rainy days, Stedman walks the length of the dock using a circular broom to remove spiderwebs that have built up around parked boats. Employees call this process “webbing,” she said.
Stedman has worked a variety of summer jobs, including an internship at an attorney’s office and helping at Marble Falls Family Wellness Center, which her father, Horis, owns. This year, she was ready for something different.
“This is more to enjoy the summer,” Stedman said of her choice to work as a dockhand. “I get to make friends. Plus, working with all these different people from different places, I think I learn something from all of them.”
Perhaps the people-pleasing part of the job will help Stedman pursue her dream career as a neurosurgeon or a pediatric surgeon. She’ll put half of her summer earnings into savings to help pay for her education. The high school senior is reserving the other half for adventures with friends.
She hopes to stay on as a part-time employee once school is back in session.
“My bosses are amazing, and it’s a really friendly, healthy environment,” Stedman said. “I’m really lucky.”